Lisa Stutts - Future Cancer Survivor

In 2017, an estimated 250,000 women were diagnosed with breast cancer. I was one of them.

Shortly after my 30th birthday, I learned that I had metastatic breast cancer. Since then, I have had 6 months of chemotherapy, a port-a-cath implanted, a bilateral mastectomy, and started a lifelong regimen of hormone therapy. I've seen 14 cancer-related healthcare professionals across more than 50 office visits in less than a year. Thoughts of my cancer linger in my head throughout the entire day, every day, and managing the disease will be part of my routine for the rest of my life.

While I make my way over these physical and emotional hurdles with the support of my family, friends, and boyfriend, Troy, and treatments so far have been highly effective, I struggle with the knowledge that so many women have and will suffer from and succumb to this disease. I have optimism that we can cure cancer in our lifetimes.

The UCI Anti-Cancer Challenge is the first step I am personally taking to make progress towards a cure. I am proud to walk with the Tide Turners @ UCI Applied Innovation and ask you to join or donate to our team today.

This year's Challenge starts at 9:00am on Saturday, May 19, 2018 at the Orange County Great Park. You can join the Tide Turners @ UCI Applied Innovation team as a:

5K runner or walker

Bike rider of any distance or a stationary bike rider

Volunteer or virtual participant (you don't even have to break a sweat!)

100% of the Anti-Cancer Challenge proceeds will be used to fund cancer research at the UC Irvine Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center. If you are interested also in supporting a breast cancer-specific organization, please consider a donation to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. BCRF is one of the leading fundraisers for research of both the causes and cures of breast cancer. Currently, four UCI faculty are BCRF grantees: Eva y Lee (non-cancer cell contributions), Qing Nie (drug resistance), Wenqi Wang (genetic targets), and Clare Yu (tumor microenvironments). To donate, please visit https://www.bcrf.org/